Interesting legislative activity in the Lone Star State:
A drone, no bigger than a toy airplane, hovered north of the Texas Capitol, floating over the heads of lawmakers who were momentarily distracted from their morning meetings. Several of them gathered beneath it, faces tilted skyward, marveling over a pair of goggles that allowed them to watch live video of the craft’s panoramic bird’s-eye view.
But when the conversation turned to the reason for the demonstration, the tone shifted. Representative Lance Gooden, Republican of Terrell, said he was sponsoring legislation to prevent this futuristic technology — increasingly used by everyone from aviation hobbyists to law enforcement authorities — from capturing “indiscriminate surveillance.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/us/lawmakers-aim-to-limit-drones-and-safeguard-privacy.html?_r=0
http://radio.woai.com/cc-common/mainheadlines3.html?feed=119078&article=10784277
Of particular interest to our community:
“It will be a greater burden on the hobbyists, but I think that’s O.K.,” Mr. Gooden said. “If you’re asking me to choose between my right to privacy and a hobbyist’s right to take pictures from the sky, my privacy comes first.”
and a counterpoint:
“If I’m using it to continuously monitor somebody, I think we could make a law that would forbid such a thing,” Dr. Humphreys said. “But if I’m up there doing some other benign research and happen to capture your picture inadvertently, I don’t think ought to be outlawed.”
And as an administrative note, Chris has created a forum for talking about government drone regulations.
http://diydrones.com/forum/categories/regulation/listForCategory
Comments
Its a tennis match, swat the incoming back over the net for them to take another position on, and keep doing this until they tire and make mistakes.
The way to win this game is directing the shots back at them in areas they currently aren't standing in or can't reach easily.
If they are legislators who clearly take an anti UAV stance, this means automatically they are nowhere in position of understanding or advocating the positive benefits and reciprocation of drones helping society....And, this is the exact spot we want to send the ball to...make them pivot, stretch and turn to catch the incoming volleys...
It would be only a matter of time until they wear down in their challenge, succumbing to the bounty of positive attributes that begin to outweigh the negatives.
Stay on that heading and collaborate, share, or otherwise promote UAV operation in this kind of positive light.
Honestly, if you try to add up all the negatives against all the positives, even counting variables like "potential" or "future" benefits. it becomes clear very quickly that they dont have much ammo other than the paranoia about being seen....and, in that spirit, what the hell does anyone have against being seen from time to time by a random UAV? I mean, if you're being trailed by proactive law enforcement, then guess what? you are probably a suspect and need to allow investigation and fact finding by police anyway, in order for whatever dark cloud following you to go away....or, could it be, you really are a bad guy, creep who fears exposure for doing wrong?
I don't see concern for UAVs from law abiding innocent people except in cases of being the target of repeated unwanted eavesdropping or general agitation by a UAV operator.
In cases of ill intent, bad behavior or immature use of a drone or UAV in general, it is our responsibility to identify and take action against those types of negative events in a fair but determined manner to ensure that as little bad press or public opinion materializes as possible.
Those nimrod brats on you tube dropping (questionably fake) explosives and other menacing applications of UAVs are prime examples of the type of activities we must put down or otherwise isolate to achieve this goal.
We CAN get favorable legislation with minimal sacrifice and cost, IF we act NOW in getting public perception favorable to our cause...TIME is the scarce consumable here, and quickly the door is closing.
After this "time" has come, and these decisions all made, whatever outcome later will be difficult if not impossible to reverse...
Its all or nothing folks...get your helmets on!
The rep who supports this did an interview with Fox news stating he has every intention of trying to add a amendment for hobbyist recreational use, he asked for our help in getting the verbage. I'm not very good at legalese, but it should contain something along the lines of having to either 1) prove the intent was "Surveillance" or 2) just completely exempt hobbyist who are only doing it recreational. He also stated that if he can't get the verbage that he's fine with going through with the bill hurting hobbyists knowing that at least his privacy is secure, so I hope someone gets on it. I'm not even in Texas, but I guarantee this will be passed in it's exact verbage by many other states as soon as this one passes.
You might be right, but if we can show them we CANT do what they think we can then things might turn around. im trying to persuade the mass's
Hi All,
I hate to say it, but the paranoia, from my perspective, that is pervasive in some parts of Texas is one of the reasons that I decide to retire to Florida. Some, not all, of my Texas neighbors always regarded my drones with suspicion, especially the ones with cameras on them.
Just a thougth.
Regards,
TCIII
I live in texas and I sent them a mssg talking about how drones can be a good thing, if you live in texas or are regarded as a proffessional we could use your voice.
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